By Any Means Necessary (I legit have no idea what to call this)
by TamakisButt
Summary: It's the evening before the first event of the grand prix final and that skaters are enjoying a night at a local bar. That is, until one skater appears to have it out for Yuuri and aims to ensure he does not compete the next day... *gasp*
1. Chapter 1

**Partially inspired by the Harding/Kerrigan scandal of '94. I couldn't imagine any of the skaters being the bad guy so put an OC in there ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

It was a fairly successful practise; just one day before the first round of the grand prix final and Yuuri Katsuki was managing to keep his cool. Stepping out of the rink, he was greeted by his coach, Viktor Nikiforov.

'Yuuri, what do you want to do now?' he asked, handing over a towel, 'I recommend a good night's rest to prepare for tomorrow's short program'.

Yuuri sniggered at Viktor's sudden change in attitude, 'don't be such a model coach now. This is my first time in Barcelona, I want to go out'.

Viktor smirked, 'what do you propose?'

'Christophe mentioned pre-competition drinks at a local bar', Yuuri suggested.

'Hmm', Viktor was unsure, 'you have to promise me not to drink too much, I won't be having you hungover for your short program'.

'I promise, Viktor', Yuuri agreed.

Yuuri and Viktor had been at the bar about an hour when Yuuri noticed the French skater, Pierre Dubois arrive. He considered it strange- _the Frenchman had never so much as spoken to any of the other skaters, why would he turn up to a social occasion?_

'Yuuri, what is it?' Yuuri snapped back to reality; he was in the middle of a card game with Phichit and Christophe.

'Oh sorry', he said, picking up a card, 'it's just strange to see _him_ here', he whispered, gesturing to Dubois.

Phichit and Christophe both turned indiscreetly to see the new-comer who gave them both an icy **(A/N: pun, gettit?)** glare.

'He's probably just here for a drink', Christophe shrugged, _Dubois was no competition for him and didn't deserve a second thought._

The trio continued their game until Yuuri felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Dubois looming above him, his intimidating demeanour increased by the level he stood at above Yuuri.

'Oh, h-hi, Pierre. Would you like to join us?' Yuuri asked, trying his best to be friendly. Dubois nodded, setting two drinks on the table and pushing one towards Yuuri.

'This is for you', he said simply, no expression on his face.

'Oh, thank-you', Yuuri said, taken aback. _Was this a French custom?_ _Who knows._ Feeling Dubois' intense stare, Yuuri self-consciously took a sip. It was a Spanish beer- he never really liked the taste of beer but he drank it to be polite. Feeling nervous, Yuuri scanned the room for Viktor; he was at another table with Yurio in deep conversation. _It looked serious- he better not call him over._

'Umm, we're playing black jack if you'd like to join', Phichit said, trying to break the awkward silence. Dubois simply nodded, accepting a deck of cards from Phichit. They were only 5 minutes into the round when Dubois laid down his deck of cards and stood up.

'I must prepare for tomorrow. Goodnight.'

And with that, he left.

Once he was out of sight, Christophe let out a loud snort, 'that was the most awkward thing i've ever had to sit through'.

'I think he has the hots for you Yuuri, he couldn't take his eyes of you', Phichit laughed, giving Yuuri a playful nudge.

Yuuri smiled back, pushing away his empty beer glass. He found the situation uncomfortable rather than funny but he wasn't going to complain now.

'Shall we continue?' Christophe asked, removing Dubois' deck from the table.

'Yeah', said Phichit handing out 2 cards to both Christophe and Yuuri.

'Twist me', said Christophe, considering his cards. Phichit handed him a '4', 'I'll stick with that'.

Yuuri was gradually starting to feel the effects of the alcohol he'd just consumed. The tips of his fingers were tingling and his chest felt warm; _wait, he'd only had one beer, why was he feeling so fuzzy already?_

'Yuuri! Your turn', Phichit reminded him.

'Huh?' he asked, confused. _They're playing cards, right? Which game?_

'You gonna twist or stick?'

'Oh erm...', Yuuri looked down at his two cards... a king and an ace... 'twist?'

Phichit handed him a '3'. All three players turned over their cards to reveal the winner

'Yuuri, why would you twist on a king and an ace? That's 21!'

'21?' Yuuri was confused.

'Is he really like this after just one drink?!' Christophe scoffed, 'clearly not a European'.

'Cut him some slack, he probably just hasn't eaten much today. Yuuri gets nervous before competitions and loses his appetite, right Yuuri?' Phichit defended his friend.

'No?', Yuuri slurred, _why was Phichit's voice suddenly so weird?_ It felt like he was listening to him through a jet engine.

'Yuuri, are you feeling ok?' Viktor overheard this and quickly turned towards where his protege was sitting. Abandoning Yurio mid-conversation, he made his way over to the table and sat beside Yuuri.

'What's going on?' at that point he noticed the empty glass, 'how much have you had to drink, Yuuri?' he said angrily.

Yuuri grabbed Viktor's hand, 'your hands are warm', he giggled.

'I swear to god, Yuuri', Viktor stood up, 'I told you to take it easy on the drinks'.

'But he only had one, Viktor', Christophe interjected.

'Don't lie for him, he's not a child', Viktor yanked Yuuri from his seat, 'we're going back to the hotel, you need to sober up'.

 **To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's currently 4am as i'm writing this chapter and the previous so do excuse any spelling/ grammar/ punctuation errors!**

By the time they arrived back at their hotel Yuuri was leaning heavily on Viktor, his limbs felt double their usual weight. The short walk back had been in silence; Viktor had never felt so angry at Yuuri.

Depositing Yuuri on the bed, Viktor sighed, 'I'm disappointed in you, Yuuri'.

'But I only had one drink', Yuuri wailed, tears pricking his eyes. _Why was he so emotional? He knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Right?_

'Look at the state of you. You really think I'm going to believe that?' Viktor crossed his arms, 'sleep it off, you need to be on top form tomorrow'.

And with that, Viktor shut the door leaving Yuuri to himself. Walking away he felt a twinge of remorse and guilty; _Yuuri gets nervous, he was probably trying to calm himself down. No, it was his fault, he should have known better._

Lying on his bed, Yuuri felt as though he was lying on the deck of a ship, the ground below him jolting him in a nauseating way. Warm tears were still pouring down his face- _he didn't mean to upset Viktor._ He felt the horrible sensation of bile rushing up his throat and he quickly swung his legs of the bed to rush to the bathroom. Almost as soon as his feet touched the ground, he crumpled, his legs not listening to what his brain told them to do. He cried out in frustration and resorted to crawling to his en-suite bathroom.

Meanwhile, at the bar, the remaining skaters were still enjoying a sociable evening. Yurio made his way over to Phichit's table, secretly feeling lost without Viktor or Yuuri. _Though, of course he'd never admit that._

'Where did Viktor and pork cutlet bowl run off to?' he asked, taking a seat.

'Yuuri couldn't handle his drink so Viktor took him home to sober up', Christophe said, waving the empty glass as evidence.

'I don't think it was just the drink', Phichit said, concerned, 'maybe his nerves were affecting him too'.

'Fair enough', Yurio said, eyeing the drink. He was about to announce his departure when something caught his eye. Picking up the beer glass, he inspected it's inside, a white powder of some sort tinting it. 'Look at this', he said in shock.

'What the hell is that?!' Phichit exclaimed, 'is it... poison?'

'Whatever it is I bet it wasn't in the drink when Dubois ordered it', Christophe snatched the glass from Yurio, wiping the inside with his thumb.

'Someone needs to call Viktor!' Phichit said urgently, 'Yurio, do you have his number?'

'Y-yeah, I do', he said, realising the seriousness of the situation. His hands trembled as he searched for Viktor in his phone.

The phone rang for what felt like decades until Viktor finally answered.

'Hi Yurio, sorry for running out on you. Yuuri thought it was a clever idea to get wasted before...'

'Viktor! Where is Yuuri?' Yurio shouted, bursting Viktor's eardrum.

'In bed? I left him there to sober up, why?'

'He may have been poisened'

'What?!' he blurted out, 'how?'

'The glass he drank from, it's laced with some sort of powder, Viktor you have to...' Yurio was cut off as Viktor hung up, tripping over his own feet in a desperate rush to get to Yuuri.

'Yuuri!' he shouted, bursting through the door. He panicked when he saw the bed abandoned- _the bathroom, he must be in the bathroom._ His question was answered when he heard the horrific sound of Yuuri retching. Ramming open the bathroom door, he found Yuuri on the floor, his face paler than he'd ever seen it, eyes wide in fear.

'V-Viktor', he choked.

'I'm sorry', Viktor collapsed to his knees beside Yuuri, embracing him, 'i'm so sorry'.

'I don't feel very well', he sounded like a child, Viktor stroked his hair in attempts to calm him.

'Listen to me Yuuri, I think you may have been poisoned tonight. I need you to keep throwing up until I can get you some help, ok?'

Yuuri looked at him in shock 'Poisoned? I've-I've been..?'

Viktor knew he needed to call for help but he also couldn't bear to leave Yuuri alone in the state he was in. Almost as if an answer to his prayer, he heard ramming at the door. 'Viktor! Let us in!'

'Keep breathing, I'll be one second', he promised Yuuri, standing up and rushing to the door. There stood Yurio, Phichit and Christophe.

'Look after him, I need to call for help. Try and get him to vomit', Viktor commanded, the three agreed without hesitation.

Phichit entered the bathroom first, the stench of vomit filled the air and made his stomach flip in empathy. 'Yuuri...' he gasped, falling down beside his friend.

'Phichit, help...', Yuuri whimpered, his hands shaking around the toilet bowl.

'You're gonna be fine, just stay calm', Phichit said, giving Yuuri's shoulder a squeeze.

Christophe joined them on the ground, 'can you throw up?'

Yuuri shook his head, 'it hurts'.

'Just do it, pork cutlet bowl', Yurio demanded aggressively; Phichit shot him an unappreciative stare. But Yuuri obliged, his stomach muscles contracting painfully as more acidic bile painfully left his stomach. He groaned in discomfort.

'Yurio, get him some water', Christophe said, watching Yuuri grimace in pain. He could hear Viktor in the next room, explaining the situation to an operator.

Yuuri's breathing was becoming more and more shallow and he was on the edge of hyperventilating. Phichit had seen one of Yuuri's panic attacks before but this was far more scarier. 'Slow it down, Yuuri'.

'I... can't', he said, breathless.

The room was spinning, the sound of Phichit calling his name was sounding further and further away, he couldn't concentrate. The last thing Yuuri saw before blacking out was Viktor re-entering the bathroom.

 **DRAAAAAMMMMAAAAAA**


	3. Chapter 3

**Just watched episode 12!**

 **I can't believe it's all over... this is the first time in ages I've cried over an anime. 3**

As he re-entered the bathroom, Viktor saw Yuuri's eyes roll back in his head, his body lurching forward, to be caught promptly be Christophe.

'Blyad!' he cursed, scooping Yuuri's limp body into his arms on the ground, shaking him aggressively.

'Is he breathing?'

'Y-yeah, he is', Viktor affirmed, 'Yuuri!'

Yurio returned to the bathroom, petrified at the scene before him. He placed the glass of water on the sink, god knows Yuuri can't fathom it now.

'Yuuri, wake up', Viktor begged, gently slapping him across the face, 'please, I promise to eat pork cutlet bowl with you'.

A soft moan elicited from Yuuri's lips, his eyebrows knotting in discomfort.

'Yes, come on, Yuuri. Open your eyes', Viktor urged. But Yuuri either wouldn't listen or couldn't listen.

Taking the job into his own hands, Yurio scoffed, grabbing the glass of water, 'wake up, piggy', he shouted, pouring the cold water onto Yuuri's face.

'Yurio!' Phichit gawped, 'how could you?'

But he was interrupted by the sound of spluttering and wheezing from Yuuri as he regained consciousness.

'Yuuri!', Viktor exclaimed, slapping his back.

'Vik-Viktor…', he croaked, the memories of the night hazy in his brain.

Siren sounds were intensifying outside and Christophe left the bathroom to let the medics in and direct them to Yuuri.

'Stay with me a little longer, alright?' Viktor ordered, taking Yuuri's face in his hands and giving him a soft kiss on the head.

As a team of medics entered the hotel room, the skaters were ordered out of the cramped bathroom and they obliged without hesitation.

Viktor collapsed onto the couch, his head in his hands. _How had he not noticed sooner?_

He felt a hand on his shoulder, 'you did great, Viktor'. It was Phichit, he looked positively traumatised yet he still managed to squeeze out a smile.

'If anything happens to him it'll be all my fault', Viktor wailed, his knees knocking in fear.

'It'll be that shithead Dubois' fault', Yurio corrected, practically spitting out his name. 'Is anyone going to go find him?'

'Yes, when we know Yuuri's ok', Christophe said gently, joining Phichit and Viktor on the couch.

Through the door, Viktor tried desperately to translate the medical jargon being used.

'Blood pressure is 100/40'

'He's definitely in Anaphylactic shock'

'Pulse?'

'120'

'Give him 7mg of Carvedilol'

What did that mean? Viktor felt utterly useless.

 **As usual, written at 5am. Apologies for spelling/ grammar errors.**

 **Review and favourite :D**

 **x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Double whammy of chapters tonight**

It was 2:30am by the time Viktor, Phichit, Christophe and Yurio burst through the hospital doors. Stating Yuuri's name at the reception, the group were told they might have some wait before they could see him.

Viktor turned to the three skaters, 'you should all go back to your hotels, it's the final tomorrow after all'.

'No way', cried Phichit, 'I won't be able to sleep not knowing if Yuuri will be ok'.

Christophe nodded, 'we're not leaving you alone here, Viktor'. Yurio grunted in agreement.

'Thank-you', Viktor didn't want to admit it but he desperately wanted them to stay- he couldn't face the next few hours alone.

They settled in un-comfy seats in the waiting room; dead silence between them. Christophe was skimming through his mentions on social media when he saw an article that made his stomach drop.

'Katsuki Yuuri gets wasted the night before the grand prix final. Setting himself up for another failure?'

Underneath the headline, an image of Yuuri and Viktor outside their hotel hours earlier, Viktor sporting an angry expression with his arm around Yuuri, keeping him steady.

'What is it?' Phichit whispered, noticing Christophe's frustrated look.

'I'll send it to you', he whispered back, keeping out of earshot of Viktor.

Phichit's heart sank as he saw the article, biting back the will to yell in anguish.

'I should probably call up the association… let them know what Dubois did', Christophe said, standing up to find a quiet area to do so.

'Thanks', Viktor sighed, checking his watch again. _2:50am. Please be ok Yuuri._

A sudden realisation came to Viktor- _the 8 months they'd been working together was leading up to this day and now Yuuri wouldn't be able to compete. Unbelievable. It just wasn't fair._

For about the 100th time that night, Viktor felt tears sting his eyes. He didn't bother trying to suppress them, _Yuuri had cried more tears than this over the final._

Christophe returned 10 minutes later, phone in hand. 'Any news?'

'Not yet. What did they say?'

'They need a witness statement from us and Yuuri if possible… with enough evidence they can disqualify him and charge him', Christophe explained, 'there are police on the way here now'.

Yurio's phone buzzed in his pocket, he opened it to a text from Yakov.

'WHY AREN'T YOU IN YOUR ROOM? DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IS RESTING ON YOUR FREE SKATE TOMORROW?'

 _So Yakov did watch him whilst he slept. That perverted bastard._

'Viktor Nikiforov?' a woman's voice broke Viktor's trance. He shot up from his seat, desperately trying to gage a prognosis from her expression.

'Is he ok?' he gasped.

'He's fine. We believe it was a mixture of Rohypnol and Strychnine he ingested. He's on a drip at the moment to clear the toxins from his body but he should be better in a few days. Your lucky you got him here as early as you did'.

Viktor nearly fainted with relief, 'can I see him?'

The nurse smiled, 'Yes, he's already asking for you'.

Viktor turned to the others.

'Go ahead, we'll wait for the police', Phichit insisted.

Viktor nodded, following the nurse through the doors and down the hall towards Yuuri's room.

Yuuri was sitting up, his left arm attached to an IV. Viktor breathed a sigh of relief, there was colour back in his cheeks, he was alright.

'Oh Yuuri', he sobbed, throwing his arms around his pupil, 'i'm so sorry I yelled at you, i'm sorry I didn't believe you'.

'It's ok', Yuuri whispered, his throat raw from retching.

'How do you feel?' Viktor asked, softly stroking his hair.

'Sore all over. But better', Yuuri said, he looked up at Viktor, fire in his eyes, 'I'm skating in the final, Viktor'.

'Yuuri…', his determination was admirable but Viktor knew there was no possibility, 'you won't be able to, Yuuri. I'm sorry'.

'I will', he raised his voice, grabbing Viktor's hand.

'Yuuri, the competition starts in 6 hours; you need to be on the drip for 12', Viktor felt Yuuri's hand go limp in his, 'Yuuri?'

'So I really can't skate? All the training we've done will be for nothing?' Viktor could feel his heart breaking at Yuuri's words.

'There's next year, Yuuri. And by then you'll be in even better form', Viktor promised.

Yuuri shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks as he sobbed; the machine by his bedside begun beeping in quick succesion. Viktor could sense a panic attack brewing.

'Yuuri, breath slow for me', he said calmly, trying to stay relaxed for Yuuri's sake, 'this won't help anything'.

'I can't help it!' Yuuri shrieked, bringing his knees up to his chest, sobbing relentlessly.

'Yuuri, BREATH'

'I CAN'T'

His heart monitor was beeping faster and faster. Viktor backed out of the room, crying for help to a nearby doctor.

The doctor rushed in, took one look at Yuuri and yanked open a draw, removing from it a needle and a small bottle. Filling up the needle, he held down Yuuri's left arm and jabbed the needle into it, eliciting a loud cry from Yuuri.

Slowly but surely, his heart rate began to decrease and Viktor watched as Yuuri's eyelids drooped. Breathless from fear, Viktor turned to the doctor, 'what did you do?'

'It was just a light sedative, it's the best thing to do when his body is so weak', he deposited the needle in a 'sharp-ends' bin. 'He could probably do with the sleep anyway'.

Viktor nodded, turning back to Yuuri's unconscious form on the bed.

Meanwhile, two members of the Barcelona police force had entered the hospital waiting room. Quickly spotting them, Christophe, Phichit and Yurio nervously made their way over, introducing themselves.

'Is there an interview room we could use?' one officer asked the lady at reception; she nodded, directing them to a nearby room.

Sitting opposite the police officers, Phichit felt a twinge of nervousness. Their uniforms and stern demeanours intimidated him.

'We need separate statements from all three of you so gentleman, if you could step out for a minute', the officer gestured at Christophe and Yurio.

Phichit's anxiety only increased being left alone with the two native police officers.

'Your name?'

'Phichit Chulanont'

'Your relationship to the victim?'

'Um, a friend?'

'I need you describe in full what happened this evening from when Pierre Dubois first made contact with Yuuri Katsuki yesterday evening'

'Oh o-ok. We were playing cards and Pierre just sat down beside Yuuri and gave him a drink. It was odd because he had never spoken to any of us before and suddenly he was buying Yuuri a drink. He left as soon as Yuuri finished drinking it if I remember rightly'

'And then the victim began experiencing symptoms of the drug?'

'Uh, yes, yes he did'

Christophe and Yurio repeated the story almost verbatim. Once they had finished with Yurio, all three skaters were invited back in.

'You should know that Dubois was arrested tonight on suspicion of attempted manslaughter'

Phichit couldn't suppress a gasp. Manslaughter? Was Yuuri really that close to..?

'Of course, he denies any allegations', the officer continued, 'however, with your stories all lining up nicely, and a hospital report confirming the drugs which were in Katsuki's system, we should have grounds to charge Dubois'.

'That's good', Christophe commented, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

'As for the grand prix final, it has been cancelled for now'

'What?' they exclaimed in unison.

'We have been in contact with the directing association and they agree that for the safety of the skaters involved tonight, the competition should take place on a later date'

 **So it may not all be over for Yuuri in the end..?**

 **I predict 1/2 more chapters. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

'GRAND PRIX FINAL CANCELLED AFTER ATTACK ON SKATER'

'THE FRENCH TONYA HARDING?'

'KATSUKI IN STABLE CONDITION FOLLOWING BARCELONA ATTACK'

The headlines littered both Spanish press and the skating world that morning. Phichit was by Yuuri's bedside; the sedative had knocked him out for several hours and the Barcelona light was just beginning to trickle through his hospital room curtains. Scrolling through his phone, Phichit frowned at Yuuri's last update: it was a photo on instagram from last night. Him and Viktor in a selfie at the rink with the caption 'Final practise. #GoingForGold #LoveWins'. The rest of the world knew the grand prix had been cancelled but Yuuri was still under the impression he was missing the most important day of his life. Hopefully he'd wake up soon…

Phichit's phone buzzed to reveal a text from Viktor.

'Is he awake?'

Viktor had left a half hour ago to freshen up and bring back some clothes for Yuuri.

'Not yet, he's stirring a bit though', Phichit replied, noticing Yuuri's eyes twitching.

'If he wakes up stay calm, he'll be upset, just reassure him. I'll be there in 10 minutes.'

Phichit smirked, 'I've known Yuuri for a long time, Viktor. Trust me, I know what to do'.

'Viktor?' Phichit jumped, Yuuri was awake.

'Yuuri, it's Phichit', he said, giving his shoulder a soft squeeze, 'you feeling alright?'

'Fine', he sat up with help from Phichit, 'what time is it?'

'Half 7', Phichit checked his phone.

'Half 7?!' Yuuri gasped, 'Phichit, you're going to be late for the final!'

Phichit shook his head, grinning, 'you went and got it cancelled, Katsuki. It's being rescheduled'

Yuuri sat with his mouth agape. **(A/N: agape not agape. lol).** _Cancelled? Because of him?_

'Why?' he asked shocked.

'The association deemed it too dangerous for us to skate today. 'For the safety and wellbeing of the skaters the final will be postponed'', he quoted the statement from the association.

'And that means… I can skate too?' Yuuri asked, tears in his eyes.

'Of course, and now we have a greater chance of winning since Dubois has been kicked out', Phichit laughed.

'So it really was him? Where is he now?'

'In custody. He'll be tried here in Barcelona and will probably be charged. Christophe, Yurio and I all had to give statements.'

'Yurio? Why? He was with Viktor, wasn't he?' Yuuri questioned, _the events of the night not fully joined up in his head._

'He's the one who found the poison laced in your glass, plus he was there in your hotel room', Phichit responded. Yuuri gave him a surprised look. _Yurio? Really?_

'He was actually really helpful', Phichit continued, 'he was the one who persuaded you to throw up, and he managed to wake you up when you passed out for a minute'.

'That doesn't sound like Yurio at all…', Yuuri was shocked, _who knew Yurio could be so caring._

'If Yurio hadn't had noticed your drink had been spiked you may have been in way worse shape, Yuuri', Phichit spoke seriously.

 _So Yuri Plisetsky had pretty much saved his life? He really owed him one._

At that moment Viktor burst through the door, 'Yuuri!' he exclaimed, seeing him up and looking healthy.

'Viktor!' Yuuri exclaimed back with equal enthusiasm, 'I can skate in the final!'

'I know', Viktor teased, throwing his arms around Yuuri, 'I think you're the last person on Earth to hear that'.

'Let's win gold together', Yuuri said with determination, squeezing Viktor's hand. Phichit coughed loudly behind Viktor and he smirked, 'and a silver for Phichit'.

It was several hours later when Yuuri was finally allowed off the drip. In that time he'd been visited by most of his competitors, even JJ stopped by to thank him for an extra few weeks of training. Yuuri cringed as the thick IV needle was removed from his hand; Viktor softly stroked his hair in an attempt to keep him calm.

Once he was set free from the needle in his hand, Yuuri was given the all clear to leave. It was a short ride back to the hotel but it was met in silence. Viktor didn't feel the need to talk, just having Yuuri resting on his shoulder was all he needed. Entering their hotel room, Yuuri instantly took a seat on the couch: having been lying in a hospital bed for the past 16 hours, the walk from the hotel lobby to his room had been exhausting.

'Can I get you a drink, Yuuri?' Viktor asked, sensing Yuuri's fatigue. He nodded.

Yuuri swung his legs round so he could lie more comfortably on the couch. His phone was still lying beside it where he had left it yesterday. He picked it up, skimming through his social media, forgetting how last nights' events would effect his feed. His eyes widened at the top news story: 'Pierre Dubois convicted of attempted manslaughter'. _So the news outlets are essentially saying that Dubois wanted to kill him?_ Yuuri threw his phone down, nausea welling up inside him. The events of last night came crashing down on him. _Had Viktor not found him would he have chocked on his own vomit and died? Is this common in the skating world? Would someone else try it?_ Yuri's mind was full of questions.

'Yuuri', he jumped at Viktor's voice, 'what's wrong? are you in pain?'

'I-I… no', he answered honestly, bringing his knees to his chest in a defensive posture.

Viktor placed a soothing hand on his knee, 'you always sit like that when you're scared or nervous, tell me what it is'.

Yuuri shook his head, burrowing his face deeper into his knees.

'May I guess then?' Yuuri didn't respond so Viktor proceeded, 'I think you're feeling scared because it's just hit you what happened yesterday. Judging by the position of your phone I'm assuming you've just been on social media, am I right Yuuri?'

Yuuri slowly nodded, lifting his face to meet Viktor's gaze.

'You're safe now, I promise while we're here you'll never leave my sight', Viktor placed a kiss on Yuuri's forehead, 'you don't have to worry about anything like this happening ever again, alright?'

Yuuri slowly unfurled from his protective position and allowed Viktor to embrace him, leaning into his warmth. Viktor didn't dare reveal the utter terror that plagued him last night. _Maybe one day he will but definitely not today._


	6. Chapter 6

Yuuri's heart was hammering. He was the lone skater on the ice, hands gripping the wall tightly as he awaited his name to be called. Viktor could sense Yuuri's tension and gently rubbed his hand, the small scar from his IV still visible.

'Skate for yourself, Yuuri. You can win gold', he encouraged, giving his protege a smile.

Yuuri nodded, swallowing down his fears and replacing his look with one of determination. As his name was called he gripped Viktor's hand for a second before taking a deep breath and setting off for the centre of the rink. Viktor's heart was in his mouth: he knew Yuuri had the talent to win but he still hadn't recovered emotionally- and he knew how emotions affect Yuuri's performance.

 _'I can't land it!' Yuuri cried, punching the ice in frustration, 'what's wrong with me?'_ _'Hey, it's alright', Viktor leaned down, offering Yuuri a hand which he accepted, 'you just got out of the hospital 2 days ago, give yourself a chance'._ _'Yeah, and the short programme is in 5 days time Viktor', Yuuri retored, 'if I can't land the quad flip now, chances are I won't by then. And I can't just remove it from the programme because JJ has 4 quads and Otabek's base value is higher than mine and…'_ _Viktor placed a finger to Yuuri's lips. 'Stop it'._ _Yuuri felt his breaths coming in shallow, panic consuming him._ _Viktor noticed it too: Yuuri had noticeably paled, his hands shaking at his sides. Viktor needed to get him off the ice. 'Let's go', he said, putting an arm around Yuuri's shoulder, leading him gently off the ice._ _By the time they had reached the changing room and Viktor had sat Yuuri down on a bench, tears had begun to stream down his face. 'Viktor…'_ _'It's ok, just take some deep breaths', Viktor instructed, taking a seat beside Yuuri and rubbing his shoulder comfortingly._ _Yuuri tried but his exhalations remained as gasps, his whole body shaking in response. Viktor could tell it was one of Yuuri's worse attacks. 'Lie down'._ _'What?' Yuuri choked, confused as to why Viktor was addressing him like Makkachin._ _'It'll help', Viktor lowered Yuuri down, his head in his lap, 'Keep breathing'._ _Viktor stroked his hair lovingly, watching the fear in Yuuri's eyes slowly diminish._ _A few minutes later Yuuri's breathing appeared to have returned to normal and Viktor gave him a soft smile, 'do you feel better?'_ _Yuuri nodded then blushed, realising his head was in Viktor's lap. He gently pushed himself up, wiping dried tears off his face. 'Sorry Viktor'._ _'You've been through a lot these past few days, Yuuri. You don't need to apologise', Viktor kissed his forehead. 'I think that's enough practise for today, shall we head back to the hotel?'_

Viktor watched Yuuri, not taking his eyes off of him for a second. His routine had been near perfection so far: he'd even changed his triple salchow to a quadruple toe loop. The quadruple flip, the last jump was coming up. Viktor watched as Yuuri gained speed, launching himself into the air. His heart was in his mouth as he landed it without a single hint of a wobble. Viktor felt pride engulf him and tears prick his eyes. Yuuri's free skate was flawless, he couldn't have done it better himself.

'I'm so proud of you, Yuuri', they were back at the hotel, 'I really am'.

'I didn't get gold, Viktor', Yuuri mumbled, 'I know how badly you wanted to kiss that gold medal'.

Viktor smirked, 'I know something I want to kiss far more than a gold medal…'

He leaned in and pressed his lips against Yuuri's, closing his eyes and allowing himself to feel the softness of Yuuri's lips.

'I love you'

'I love you too'

 **Yay for sappy endings- thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :D Don't forget to favourite and review!**

 **xx**


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